Cochleate structures were first prepared by D. Papahadjopoulos as an intermediate in the preparation of large unilamellar vesicles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,052. COchleate compositions incorporating a variety of cargo moieties, methods of making and methods of using such cochleates have also been disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,840,707, 5,994,318, and 6,153,217, and International Application No. WO 04/091578. Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 5,840,707 discloses protein-cochleates and polynucleotide-cochleates. The entire contents of these patents are incorporated by this reference.
Additionally, positively charged amphiphiles, e.g., esters of L-carnitine, have been used as transfection agents, as well as in the formation of liposomes for delivery of molecules, e.g., nucleotides. Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 6,797,281 discloses compounds which are used as cationic lipids for delivery of pharmacologically active compounds, e.g., taxol liposomes and the like.